Systems and methods for protection of floorings in shipping containers

ABSTRACT

An exemplary approach for protecting floorings in containers may utilize a first ledger attached to an upper portion of a first support beam associated with a foundational base assembly. A portion of the first ledger may protrude outward in a first horizontal direction from the upper portion of the first support beam. A second ledger may be attached to an upper portion of a second support beam next to the first support beam. A portion of the second ledger may protrude outward in a second horizontal direction from the upper portion of the second support beam. The second horizontal direction may face the first horizontal direction. A support panel may be placed on top of the portion of the first ledger and the portion of the second ledger. The support panel may have a length proximate to a distance between the first support beam and the second support beam.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/334,548, filed Jul. 17, 2014 and entitled “Systems andMethods for Protection of Floorings in Shipping Containers,” now U.S.Pat. No. 9,714,054, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention(s)

The present invention(s) generally relates to support structures. Moreparticularly, the invention(s) relates to systems and methods forprotection of floorings in shipping containers by utilizing supportstructures.

2. Introduction

Floors can be used in a wide variety of environments, such as in privatehomes, in public spaces, and in commercial properties. In particular,shipping containers have floors on which goods or other items arestored. In some cases, the floors of shipping containers can include anupper layer of wood flooring that overlays a plurality of support beamssuch as cross-members.

A floor provides a foundational base structure that can support weight.In order to protect the floor from damage and protect goods from beingdamaged by the floor (e.g., moving or storage), different, strongerflooring materials are generally utilized.

Quality, stronger woods, such as Asian hardwoods, are becoming morerare. The reduced availability of such wood has led to a reduction inthe quality of the wood flooring supplied to container factories. As aresult, container floorings are failing prematurely and flooring repaircosts have increased significantly. In some cases, flooring repair costshave become approximately 20% of combined owner and user repair costs.Since the availability of suitable wood (e.g., Asian hardwood) willlikely continue to decrease in the future, flooring repair costs willlikely increase. In the shipping industry, the poor quality of woodflooring can create significant technical and economic challenges forshipping container owners and users.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example shipping container 100 of the prior art.The example shipping container 100 includes an entrance 102. Theentrance 102 can be used, such as by forklift or truck vehicles, todeposit and retrieve goods or other items to be stored in the shippingcontainer 100. As shown in FIG. 1, an X-ray view 104 into the shippingcontainer 100 depicts that the shipping container 100 has a foundationalbase assembly, such as a floor 106. The floor 106 can be formed by aplurality of support beams, such as cross-members 108, spanningtransversally across the width of the shipping container 100. Moreover,as shown in FIG. 1, the floor 106 of the shipping container 100 includesan upper layer of wood flooring 110, such as Asian hardwood flooring.

One solution that has been proposed is to replace all of the flooring ofa shipping container with steel. The process, however, is expensive,increases the weight of the shipping container to the point whereshipping is prohibitive, and the steel flooring may damage cargo duringstorage or transit.

Another solution is to move the cross-members 108 closer together. FIG.2 illustrates an example individual forklift wheel 202 on top of ashipping container floor 204 of the prior art. FIG. 2 can illustrate awheel contact position in rolling shear. Finite Element Analysis (FEA)modeling can be used to identify a critical load condition that is mostlikely to result in floor failure. In FIG. 2, the containercross-members 206 and 208 are spaced approximately 11.81 inches or 300millimeters (mm) apart. The position of the forklift wheel 202 as shownin the example of FIG. 2, applies approximately 83% of the shear loadthrough the local plywood 210 thickness and adjacent to the cross-member206 (the shear load being applied along plane 212). In this example, thecalculated shear stress corresponds to the wheel load×83% divided by thearea in shear: Shear Stress=(12,000 lbs.×83%)/(7.48 inches×1.125inches)=1183.6 pound-force per square inch (psi) average, which compareswell to the FEA peak shear value of 1212.83 psi.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, when viewing rollingshear, moving the cross-members 108 is not only expensive (requiringadjustments to manufacturing new shipping containers and additionalmaterials), but also is likely to lead to more, not less, damage.

It follows that excessive load or force due to forklift wheels candecrease or shorten the life span of the container wood flooring. Thewood flooring may not be practically effective at, or sufficientlycapable of, withstanding the load or force.

As discussed above, the poor quality of wood flooring and/or the forcefrom forklift wheels can create significant technical and economicchallenges for shipping container owners and users. Conventionalapproaches taken by container industry suppliers or owners in attempt toaddress these challenges are discussed below.

One conventional approach involves attempting to replace Asian hardwoodwith an alternative wood or non-wood product. Various alternatives toAsian hardwood have been suggested, but none have been able to meet thecombined strength, production capacity, compatibility with containerbase structure designs, and/or cost constraints that would make themviable alternatives. There is a lack of promising alternatives underdevelopment at this time.

Another conventional approach involves minimizing the use of wood byusing steel or mixtures of steel and wood instead. Many designs havebeen proposed and prototypes have been built using all steel floors orvarious combinations of steel and wood. Most of them have met functionalrequirements, but added an unacceptable amount of weight to thecontainer, were incompatible with container assembly line processes, andas a result, were too heavy and/or costly to be used.

A further conventional approach involves reducing the unsupported floorspan by adding cross-members. This approach is based on a lack ofunderstanding of the critical failure mode of container flooring, andalthough intuitively attractive, does not reduce the shear stress levelsthat cause floor failure. Spans are already short enough that the flooris shear critical (and not bending critical) and further reducing spansdoes not change this.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved approach for protectingfloorings in containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Systems and methods for providing protection of floorings in containersare discussed herein. An exemplary system comprises a first ledger, asecond ledger, and a support panel. The first ledger may be attached toan upper portion of a first support beam associated with a foundationalbase assembly. A portion of the first ledger may protrude outward in afirst horizontal direction from the upper portion of the first supportbeam. The second ledger may be attached to an upper portion of a secondsupport beam next to the first support beam. A portion of the secondledger may protrude outward in a second horizontal direction from theupper portion of the second support beam. The second horizontaldirection may be facing the first horizontal direction. The supportpanel may be placed on top of the portion of the first ledger and theportion of the second ledger. The support panel may have a lengthproximate to a distance between the first support beam and the secondsupport beam.

In some embodiments, the foundational base assembly may be a floor. Thefloor may be part of a shipping container. The support panel may beplaced proximate to an entrance of the shipping container. For example,if the shipping container is 40 feet in longitudinal length, thensupport panels may be placed in an area between 0 and 8 feet inlongitudinal length from the entrance of the shipping container. Inanother example, if the shipping container is 20 feet in longitudinallength, then support panels may be placed in an area between 0 and 4feet in longitudinal length from the entrance of the shipping container.In some embodiments, the shipping container may be at least one of a 20feet long shipping container or a 40 feet long shipping container. Thefoundational base assembly may be overlaid with a layer of woodflooring. For example, a shipping container foundational base assemblymay be overlaid with a layer of Asian hardwood flooring. The layer ofwood flooring may be fastened onto the support panel.

In some embodiments, the support panel may be: 1) detachably placed or2) secured, onto the portion of the first ledger and the portion of thesecond ledger. Detachably placing the support panel may refer todropping-in or placing the support panel onto the ledgers withoutattaching or securing the support panel to the ledgers. However, in somecases, the support panel may be attached or secured to the ledgers asneeded. In various embodiments, attaching the first ledger attached tothe upper portion of the first support beam comprises forming the firstsupport beam with the first ledger. Similarly, attaching the secondledger to the upper portion of the second support beam may compriseforming the second support beam with the second ledger.

In some embodiments, the first ledger and the second ledger may eachinclude at least one of an angle ledger, a flat ledger, a ledger havinga rectangular cross section, a ledger having a triangular cross section,a ledger having a round cross section, or a ledger having a solid crosssection. The first ledger may include the angle ledger and the secondledger may include the flat ledger. The angle ledger may have a firstplane and a second plane connected perpendicularly along edges of thefirst and second planes. The first plane may be attached to the upperportion of the first support beam and the second plane may protrude inthe first horizontal direction from the upper portion of the firstsupport beam. The flat ledger may have a third plane. A first portion ofthe third plane may be attached to the upper portion of the secondsupport beam and a second portion of the third plane may protrude in thesecond horizontal direction from the upper portion of the second supportbeam.

In various embodiments, each of the first support beam and the secondsupport beam may include at least one of a C-beam cross-member, anI-beam cross-member, a cross-member having a rectangular cross section,or a cross-member having a solid cross section. For example, in ascenario where two I-beam cross-members are placed next to each other,two flat ledgers may be used. One flat ledger may be attached underneathan upper flange portion of one I-beam cross-member and another flatledger may be attached underneath an upper flange portion of the otherI-beam cross-member. A support panel may thus be placed on the two flatledgers in between the two I-beam cross-members.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of material used to constructthe support panel may be removed, thereby reducing a weight of thesupport panel.

In various embodiments, a second support panel may be placed proximateto 38.5980 inches in transversal distance away from the support panel.The second support panel may be placed on top of a portion of a thirdledger attached to the first support beam and on top of a portion of afourth ledger attached to the second support beam. In some embodiments,each of the support panel and the second support panel may have atransversal width proximate to 15.0000 inches.

Another exemplary system comprises a first ledger means, a second ledgermeans, and a support panel. The first ledger means may be attached to anupper portion of a first support beam associated with a foundationalbase assembly. A portion of the first ledger means may protrude outwardin a first horizontal direction from the upper portion of the firstsupport beam. The second ledger means may be attached to an upperportion of a second support beam next to the first support beam. Aportion of the second ledger means may protrude outward in a secondhorizontal direction from the upper portion of the second support beam.The second horizontal direction may be facing the first horizontaldirection. The support panel may be placed on top of the portion of thefirst ledger means and the portion of the second ledger means. Thesupport panel may have a length proximate to a distance between thefirst support beam and the second support beam.

Another exemplary method comprises forming a foundational base assemblyof a shipping container, the foundational base assembly comprising afirst support beam and a second support beam, the first support beambeing proximate to the second support beam, each support beam furtherincluding an upper portion, coupling a support panel at the upperportion of the first support beam associated with the foundational baseassembly, and coupling the support panel at the upper portion of thesecond support beam, the support panel having a length proximate to adistance between the first support beam and the second support beam.

An exemplary method comprises attaching a first ledger to an upperportion of a first support beam associated with a foundational baseassembly. A portion of the first ledger may protrude outward in a firsthorizontal direction from the upper portion of the first support beam.The exemplary method also comprises attaching a second ledger to anupper portion of a second support beam next to the first support beam. Aportion of the second ledger may protrude outward in a second horizontaldirection from the upper portion of the second support beam. The secondhorizontal direction may be facing the first horizontal direction. Theexemplary method further comprises placing a support panel on top of theportion of the first ledger and the portion of the second ledger. Thesupport panel may have a length proximate to a distance between thefirst support beam and the second support beam.

Another exemplary method comprises absorbing, by a support panel, anamount of force. The support panel may be placed on top of a portion ofa first ledger and on top of a portion of a second ledger. The exemplarymethod also comprises distributing, by the support panel, the amount offorce to a first support beam having an upper portion attached to thefirst ledger and to a second support beam having an upper portionattached to the second ledger. The exemplary method further comprisesreducing an amount of stress incurred by at least a portion of a woodflooring overlaying the support panel. The amount of stress beingreduced based on the distributing, by the support panel, of the amountof force to the first support beam and to the second support beam. Insome embodiments, the support panel may distribute the amount of forceto the first support beam via the first ledger and to the second supportbeam via the second ledger.

Many other features and embodiments of the present disclosure will beapparent from the accompanying drawings and from the following detaileddescription.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example shipping container of the prior art.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example individual forklift wheel on top of anexample shipping container floor of the prior art.

FIG. 3 illustrates research findings associated with damage to flooringsin containers.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of an example shipping container floorhaving implemented support panels in some embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example system including support panels andledgers configured to provide protection of floorings in shippingcontainers in some embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates a zoomed-in view of an example system includingsupport panels and ledgers configured to provide protection of flooringsin some embodiments.

FIG. 7A illustrates an example system including a support panel andledgers configured to provide protection of floorings in someembodiments.

FIG. 7B illustrates the example system of FIG. 7A in which the supportpanel is placed on the ledgers to provide protection of floorings insome embodiments.

FIG. 8A illustrates an example system including a support panel as wellas ledgers that are attached to support beams in some embodiments.

FIG. 8B illustrates the example system of FIG. 8A in which the supportpanel is placed on the ledgers that are attached to the support beams insome embodiments.

FIG. 8C illustrates a side view of the example system of FIG. 8A andFIG. 8B in which the support panel is placed on the ledgers that areattached to the support beams in some embodiments.

FIG. 8D illustrates a frontal view of the example system of FIG. 8A,FIG. 8B, and FIG. 8C in which the support panel is placed on the ledgersthat are attached to the support beams in some embodiments.

FIG. 9 illustrates a side view section of an example foundational baseassembly having implemented support panels in some embodiments.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example support panel with material removed toreduce weight in some embodiments.

FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of an example foundational base assemblyhaving implemented support panels with material removed to reduce weightin some embodiments.

FIG. 12A illustrates an example flow diagram for providing protection offloorings in some embodiments.

FIG. 12B illustrates an example flow diagram for providing protection offloorings in some embodiments.

The figures depict various embodiments of the disclosed technology forpurposes of illustration only, wherein the figures use like referencenumerals to identify like elements. One skilled in the art will readilyrecognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments ofthe structures and methods illustrated in the figures may be employedwithout departing from the principles of the disclosed technologydescribed herein. Moreover, it should be noted that the figures are notnecessarily drawn to scale and that dimensions illustrated in thefigures are for purposes of illustration only and are not limiting inscope.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments described herein provide protection of floorings incontainers such as shipping containers. For one example, someembodiments of systems and methods described herein may provideprotection of wood flooring in a shipping container (e.g., cargoshipping container) by utilizing support panels. A shipping containermay include a reusable steel container used for intermodal shipments(e.g., international shipping container) such as an intermodal freightcontainer.

As discussed previously, the poor quality of wood flooring and/or theforce from forklift wheels can create a significant technical andeconomic problem for shipping container owners and users. Applicantsrecast this problem by ignoring the convention that the container floorhad to be of homogeneous construction from the entrance door (e.g.,rear) to the opposite end (e.g., front) of the container. Instead, itwas decided that the floor should be stronger only where it needed to bestronger, and reinforcements of the floor should be only strong enoughto prevent failure.

Moreover, the definition of failure was expanded beyond the standardleasing industry definition—which suggests that “broken” means “failureand repair required”—to include a more pragmatic, operationaldefinition. As such, the ability to support the floor so that thecontainer can continue to operate even when the floor is technicallybroken was a design consideration. The objective became not only toreduce the likelihood of breakage, but also to increase the likelihoodthat the container can continue to operate with a broken floor. This canhave significant economic value by reducing in-service repair costs andby allowing containers with broken floors to be retired and sold in thehigher valued cargo-worthy condition. Some embodiments described hereinmay be utilized with a floor that is technically broken.

In addition, cost analysis was used to determine the longitudinal (e.g.,lengthwise) location of floor damage, and forklift dimensions andoperations were studied in order to determine the transverse location ofdamage. This led to the identification of the high payback areas of thefloor. It was found that strengthening, supporting, or reinforcing 7% ofthe floor area could potentially reduce repair costs by 50%.

Furthermore, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) modeling was used to optimizethe stiffness and minimize the weight of the reinforcing materials(e.g., support panels).

Manufacturability was also considered at all steps in the design of thereinforcements (e.g., support panels). Objectives that were consideredincluded low or no modification of the standard container assembly line.For example, in some embodiments described herein, all additionalwelding is performed at the piece part stage and assembly only requiresdrop-in parts (i.e., no welding) just prior to upper flooring layerinstallation.

One fundamental difference between conventional approaches and some (butnot necessarily all) embodiments described herein is that theconventional approaches addressed primarily technical requirements withlittle concern for economic factors, whereas at least some embodimentsaddresses optimization in both the cost/benefit sense but also in thestructural sense via the minimum (or limited) use of material. Someembodiments require an application of a higher level of analysis andtechnology to reach a conclusion or solution.

At least some embodiments can be developed in accordance with thefollowing sequence or process. First, floor damage costs are analyzed toidentify the distribution of cost by longitudinal location in shippingcontainers. Second, forklift loading practices are studied to determinethe most common travel paths, tracks, or traces at the door end ofcontainers. Third, forklift track widths and tire widths are studied toidentify the load corridor at the door end of the containers. Fourth,the combination of load corridor and cost distribution are used toidentify the areas of the floor that presented the best opportunity forcost effective improvement (i.e., reinforcing 7% of the floor area toreduce 50% of repair costs). Fifth, FEA modeling are used to identifythe critical load condition that was most likely to result in floorfailure. Sixth, FEA modeling are used to optimize reinforcing plate(i.e., support panel) design weight and stiffness with maximum supportin the load corridor areas only. Seventh, container manufacturingmethods are studied and the plates can be designed to minimallyinterfere (if at all) with manufacturing productivity, such that plateinstallation, for example, require no welding on line and plates dropinto place without measuring or fixturing for location.

As discussed above, floor damage costs may be analyzed to identify thedistribution of cost by longitudinal location in containers. FIG. 3illustrates research findings associated with damage to floorings incontainers. In FIG. 3, the “Location” column can indicate a particulararea of the container floor (e.g., each location identifies 10% thelength of a container). Location 1 can correspond to an area between 0and 4 feet away in longitudinal distance (e.g., lengthwise) from anentrance door of a 40′ foot container. Location 2 can correspond to anarea between 4 and 8 feet away from the entrance door. Location 3 cancorrespond to an area between 8 and 12 feet away from the entrance door,and so forth. The “Count” column can show the number of times aparticular Location of the container floor has been damaged. The “USD”column can show the amount of monetary costs due to damage to aparticular Location. The “Cumulative USD” column can show the totalamount of monetary costs due to damage at a particular Location as wellas those Locations from the container entrance leading to the particularLocation. The “USD Cumulative %” column can show percentages of thetotal costs due to damage at a particular Location as well as thoseLocations from the container entrance leading to the particularLocation. The “Location %” column can indicate the percentages of damageoccurrences for a particular Location.

Also shown in FIG. 3 are three charts. The “Count” chart illustrates, inbar chart form, the number of times each Location of the container floorhas been damaged. The “USD by Location” chart illustrates, in bar chartform, the amount of monetary costs attributed to damage at eachLocation. The “USD Cumulative %” chart illustrates, in line graph form,the percentages of the total costs due to damage at each particularLocation and at all Locations previous to a respective particularLocation.

Based on the information contained in the tables of FIG. 3, 52.2% of alldamage of a shipping container floor occurs in the first 20% of acontainer in front of the entrance.

Forklift loading practices may also be studied to determine the mostcommon travel paths at the door end of containers. The size of aforklift can be a factor in the maneuverability of the forklift and itswheels in a container, which can be narrow. It can be reasoned that alarge, heavy forklift, such as one weighing over 24,000 lbs., haslimited mobility in an 8 feet wide container. Moreover, the wheels of aforklift usually enter the container at the center of the containerdoor, then “veer” to the right or left to deposit or retrieve theforklift's load. This pattern can then be reversed when exiting thecontainer. These movement patterns have been substantiated throughobservation. The container floor can experience forklift wheel trafficsubstantially confined to a fairly well defined area. In some cases, theforklift or truck wheel track/trace can be easily seen or readilyobserved. In some instances, forklift tracks can be seen as darkerstreaks on a container floor. Accordingly, a solution for protecting thecontainer flooring can be focused on or targeted at a fairly welldefined area or route on the container floor.

Based on research (e.g., analysis, observation, experimentation, etc.),a large number of forklifts have track widths (e.g., front center tocenter) approximately ranging from 1000 mm (39.37 inches) to 1150 mm(50.39 inches), front tire widths approximately ranging from 180 mm(7.09 inches) to 300 mm (11.81 inches), rear tire widths approximatelyranging from 165 mm (6.50 inches) to 250 mm (9.84 inches), empty weightmeasurements approximately ranging from 3730 kg to 7143 kg, and loadedweight measurements approximately ranging from 6230 kg to 11678 kg.Moreover, it can be determined that a popular, common, or average trackwidth is approximately 44 inches and that a popular, common, or averagetire width is approximately 10 inches. This and other information can beutilized throughout various embodiments described herein.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view 400 of an example shipping container floor402 having implemented support panels 404 in some embodiments. In theexample of FIG. 4, the shipping container corresponds to a 40 feetcontainer (i.e., 40 feet in length/longitude). An entrance to theshipping container is located at the front 406 of the shippingcontainer.

In some embodiments, based on at least some of the above researchingfindings and/or other data, particular areas on the container floor canbe selected to be reinforced or supported. As discussed previously, asignificant amount of damage to container floors occurs near theentrance to the container where forklifts usually enter and exit thecontainer. Moreover, as discussed above, damage to the container floorscan be caused by the wheels of the forklifts carrying loads. As such,particular areas on the container floor that likely correspond toforklift wheel traces or tracks can be selected to be reinforced orsupported, as opposed to reinforcing other floor areas and/or the entirefloor which can waste substantial amounts of money, time, effort, and/orother resources. Accordingly, support panels (e.g., supporting panels,reinforcing panels, reinforcement panels, support plates, reinforcingplates, or the like) 404 may be placed in particular areas that tend toexperience significant traffic and/or that likely correspond to forkliftwheel traces or tracks near the entrance of the container. When forkliftwheels drive over the wood flooring in the container, support panelsplaced underneath the wood flooring can help alleviate some of thestress or load that would otherwise be incurred by the wood flooring.

As shown in FIG. 4, there are two paths along the length of thecontainer where support panels 404 are placed. The two paths proximatethe track or trace of forklift wheels. Based on the above researchand/or other factors, it can be determined that the each support panel404 may be placed, for example, 19.299 inches away in transversaldistance from the center length of the container. Those skilled in theart will appreciate that the support panel 404 may be placed 17, 18, 19,20, 21, or 22 inches away in transversal distance from the center lengthof the container. In some embodiments, there support panel 404 may beplaced any distance aware from the transversal distance from the centerlength of the container. Moreover, it can be determined that eachsupport panel 404 may have a transversal width of 15.000 inches. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the support panel 404 have atransversal width of 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, or 18 inches. In someembodiments, there support panel 404 may have any have a transversalwidth. Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that thesupport panel 404 placement and width may be based on the length andwidth of the shipping container.

In the example of FIG. 4, the shipping container is 40 feet (480.000inches) long and nearly 8 feet (92.598 inches) wide. Based on research,it may be determined that support panels 404 should be placed orimplemented preferably between 0 to 8 feet from the entrance or door ofthe container (i.e., where 52.2% of damage occurs based on tables inFIG. 3). In some embodiments, a steel threshold may extends lengthwisefrom the front 406 to, for example, the first (rearmost) cross-member408. In this example, there are a total of 14 support panels 404 in twopaths within 8 feet from the container entrance (the steel threshold and6 panels in the 0 to 4 feet area and 8 panels in the 4 to 8 feet area).Other variations are also possible. For example, in some cases, ashipping container can be 20 feet long. As such, the support panels maybe placed in two paths within 4 feet from the entrance of the 20 feetcontainer, resulting in 6 total support panels (a steel threshold and 2panels in the 0 to 2 feet area and 4 panels in the 2 to 4 feet area).

FIG. 5 illustrates an example system 500 including support panels andledgers configured to provide protection of floorings in shippingcontainers in some embodiments. The example system 500 can include afoundational base assembly 502, such as a floor in a shipping container.

The foundational base assembly (e.g., floor) 502 can include a pluralityof support beams. In some implementations, the support beams cancorrespond to cross-members, such as I-beam cross-members, C-beamcross-members, cross-members with rectangular cross sections, and/orcross-members with solid cross sections, etc. In the example of FIG. 5,the plurality of support beams included in the foundational baseassembly 502 can correspond to a plurality of C-beam cross-members(e.g., which may be manufactured from steel). Furthermore, a woodflooring (not illustrated in FIG. 5) may be overlaid on the plurality ofC-beam cross-members to form the foundational base assembly 502.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of support panels can beimplemented in conjunction with or as a part of the foundational baseassembly 502. In some embodiments, a support panel 504 can be placed ontop of ledgers 506 and 508. Ledger 506 can be attached to a firstsupport beam, such as a first C-beam cross-member 510. Ledger 508 can beattached to a second support beam, such as a second C-beam cross-member512. When a load such as a force from a forklift wheel is applied to thewood flooring overlaying the support panel 502, the support panel 502can absorb at least some of the stress and can distribute some of thestress to the ledgers 506 and 508, which can further distribute some ofthe stress to the cross-members 510 and 512, respectively. Any portionof the foundational base assembly 502 may comprise support panels.

Although FIG. 5 depicts support panels 504 being placed on top ofledgers 506 and 508, in some embodiments, one or more support panels arecoupled to the first support beam (e.g., C-beam cross member 510) and/orthe second support beam (e.g., C-beam cross member 512) without the useof one or more ledgers. For example, the support panel 504 may be welded(or otherwise attached) to the first support beam and/or the secondsupport beam without the use of one or either ledger 506 or 508. In someembodiments, the first support beam may be formed with a support panel(e.g., during fabrication of the first support beam, the support panelwas formed). In some embodiments, the support beams and a support panelmay be formed together during fabrication.

Although ledgers 504 and 506 are depicted in FIG. 5, each ledger may beof any shape. In some embodiments, ledger 504 and/or 506 may be of anyshape. The ledger 504 and/or 506 may be of any size or length. Further,in some embodiments, a portion of the ledger 504 and/or 506 thatsupports the support panel 506 may not necessarily be flat.

With reference to FIG. 6, a zoomed-in view of an example system 600including support panels and ledgers configured to provide protection offloorings is illustrated in some embodiments. The example system 600 mayinclude a foundational base assembly, such as a floor 602.

The floor 602 can be built using a plurality of support beams, such asC-beam cross-members, as shown in FIG. 6. The floor 602 can be fittedwith a plurality of support panels, which can help protect (e.g.,support, strengthen, reinforce, make durable, or the like) a woodflooring (not illustrated in FIG. 6) which may be placed on top of thesupport panels. In FIG. 6, a first support panel 604 may be placed ontop of a first ledger 606 and a second ledger 608. The first ledger 606can be attached (e.g., laid or set over, welded, adhered, or un-adhered)to a flat vertical side of a first C-beam cross-member 610. The secondledger 608 can be attached (e.g., laid or set over, welded, adhered, orun-adhered) to an underside of a top flange of a second C-beamcross-member 612. Thus, when all or a portion of a forklift wheel passesover the wood flooring overlaying the first support panel 604, the firstsupport panel 604 may protect the wood flooring by alleviating at leastsome of the stress exerted by the forklift wheel onto the wood flooring.The first support panel 604 may distribute or dissipate at least some ofthe stress to the ledgers 606 and 608, and also to the cross-members 610and 612.

In some embodiments, the support beams may differ from one another. Forexample, the top flanges of different C-beam cross-members may differ.As shown in FIG. 6, cross-member 610 can have a top flange 614 with alongitudinal length of 45 mm, whereas cross-member 612 can have a topflange 616 with a longitudinal length of 75 mm. However, in some cases,the distance between cross-members (including cross-members withdifferent top flanges) may be retained, such as at 11.81 inches or 300mm.

It thus follows that support panel 604 can have a shorter longitudinallength than support panel 618, because support panel 604 is in betweencross-member 610 and cross-member 612, and cross-member 612 has a longertop flange 616. In some implementations, support panels (e.g., 604) thatare intended to be placed in between a 45 mm top flange cross-member(e.g., 610) and a 75 mm top flange cross-member (e.g., 612) can all havea same first longitudinal length (shorter), whereas support panels(e.g., 618) that are intended to be placed in between two 45 mm topflange cross-members (e.g., 610 and 620) can all have a same secondlongitudinal length (longer). As such, there can be two sets of supportpanels to be manufactured. The first set can have a particularstandardized longitudinal length and the second set can have a differentstandardized longitudinal length. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that, in some embodiments, any or all support panels may beof different size and/or length.

In some implementations, the wood flooring overlaying a support panelcan be fastened onto the support panel. In the example of FIG. 6, thesupport panels can have screw holes (e.g., 622) such that the woodflooring can be screwed into the screw holes of the support panel. Insome embodiments, the support panels do not have screw holes. In oneexample, wood floorings are overlaid on top of the support panels andscrews and/or screw holes are drilled through the wood flooring and thesupport panels thereafter.

The ledgers may be attached or secured to the cross-members. In oneexample, the ledgers can be attached to the cross-members by spotwelding (e.g., spot weld 624). Details regarding the building andattaching of the ledgers will be discussed below.

FIG. 7A illustrates an example system 700 including a support panel 702and ledgers 704 and 706 configured to provide protection of floorings insome embodiments. As discussed above, the support panel 702 can beplaced on top of the ledgers 704 and 706, and each ledger can beattached to a respective support beam of a foundational base assembly(e.g., a respective cross-member of a floor in a shipping container). Anupper flooring, such as a hardwood flooring, can be placed over thesupport panel 702. When a load is placed on the flooring (e.g., aforklift carrying a load drives over a portion of the flooring), thesupport panel 702 may assist to absorb and distribute stress or forcecaused by the load (and carrying vehicle if present).

As shown in FIG. 7A, the first ledger 704 can correspond to an angleledger and the second ledger 706 can correspond to a flat bar ledger orflat ledger. It is contemplated that other variations are also possible(e.g., any number of angle ledgers, any number of flat bar ledgers,ledgers of different size, ledgers of different shape, or differentledgers that may work in combination with the one or more supportpanels). In some implementations, each of the first and second ledgers704 and 706 can include at least one of an angle ledger, a flat ledger,a ledger having a rectangular cross section, a ledger having atriangular cross section, a ledger having a round cross section, aledger having a solid cross section, or the like.

As discussed above, research and analysis such as FEA modeling can beused to optimize reinforcing/support plate design weight and stiffnesssuch that maximum support is obtained in the floor areas of interest(e.g., the floor areas that are likely to incur significant traffic orheavy loads). Based on the research and analysis, the support panels 702may be 4 mm thick in some embodiments. In various embodiments, thesupport panels 702 may have any thickness and/or varying thickness. Forexample, the support panels 702 may be approximately 5 mm thick, 6 mmthick, 3 mm thick, 2 mm thick or the like.

Research and analysis can also be used to determine other dimensions aswell. In the example of FIG. 7A, the angle ledger 704 may have, forexample, leg lengths of 25 mm and 25 mm, a thickness of 4 mm, and atransversal width of 360 mm. In this example, the flat ledger 706 canhave a longitudinal length of 50 mm, a thickness of 4 mm, and atransversal width of 360 mm. Other variations are also possible (e.g.,different transversal width, different longitudinal length, anddifferent leg lengths). For example, the angel ledger 704 may havethickness of approximately 2 mm-8 mm in thickness, have leg lengths ofapproximately 15 mm-40 mm, and a transversal width of approximately300-420 mm. In another example, the flat ledger 706 may have thicknessof approximately 2 mm-8 mm in thickness, have longitudinal length ofapproximately 30-70 mm, and a transversal width of approximately 300-420mm

Furthermore, in some implementations, the support panel 702 can includeone or more strengthening elements. In the example of FIG. 7A, thesupport panel 702 can include two flat bars 708 and 710 coupled on edgeto the main body of the support panel 702. The two flat bars 708 and 710can strengthen, support, and/or stiffen the physical structure of thesupport panel 702. Any design, shape, size of strengthening elements maybe utilized. In some embodiments, the support panel 702 does not includestrengthening elements.

FIG. 7B illustrates the example system 700 of FIG. 7A in which thesupport panel 702 is placed on the ledgers (e.g., angle ledger 704 andflat ledger 706) to provide protection of floorings in some embodiments.The ledgers 704 and 706 can be attached to support beams (notillustrated in FIG. 7B). In the example of FIG. 7B, the support panel702 can include two flat bars 708 and 710 that stiffen or strengthen thesupport panel 702.

In some cases, container manufacturing methods can be studied and takeninto consideration, and the support panels can be designed to reduce oreliminate interference with container manufacturing productivity. Insome embodiments, the support panels can be designed to be readilyplaced in between two support beams (e.g., two cross-members of ashipping container). In the example of FIG. 7B, the support panel 702can be placed on a portion of the angle ledger 704 and a portion of theflat ledger 706 in between two support beams, without having to attachor secure the panel 702 to the ledgers 704 and 706. In some embodiments,the support panel 702 can be dropped in without having to weld or fastenthe panel 702 onto the ledgers 704 and 706 and without measuring orfixturing the panel 702 for location. In various embodiments, thesupport panel 702 is attached to the ledger 704, the ledger 706, and/orone or more cross members.

In some implementations, the support panel 702 can include two lips orflanges (e.g., 712 and 714) that extend downward to help prevent orreduce movement or sliding of the panel 702 on top of the ledgers 704and 706, as shown in FIG. 7B. In some implementations, the support panel702 can correspond to a flat piece without the two lips or flanges.

Furthermore, the two flat bars 708 and 710 can be designed to havelongitudinal lengths that fit in between the two ledgers 704 and 706.This can enable the support panel 702 including the flat bars 708 and710 to be readily dropped in or placed on the ledgers 704 and 706 inbetween two support beams (not illustrated in FIG. 7B). Another purposeof the flat bars 708 and 710 can be to help prevent or reduce movementor sliding of the panel 702 on top of the ledgers 704 and 706.

FIG. 8A illustrates an example system 800 including a support panel 802as well as ledgers 804 and 806 that are attached to support beams 808and 810 in some embodiments. In this example, the support beams 808 and810 can correspond to C-beam cross-members in a shipping container.Other components are omitted for graphical purposes.

In some embodiments, the first ledger 804 corresponds to an angle ledgerand the second ledger 806 corresponds to a flat bar ledger or flatledger. The angle ledger 804 includes a first plane 812 and a secondplane 814 connected perpendicularly along edges of the first and secondplanes. The first plane 812 may attach to an upper portion of the firstsupport beam 808. For example, the first plane 812 may be attached orsecured to an upper portion of a vertical flat side 822 of the firstsupport beam 808. The second plane 814 may protrude in a horizontaldirection (X-axis) from the upper portion (e.g., the upper portion ofthe vertical flat side 822) of the first support beam 808.

Further, the flat ledger 806 may include a third plane 816. A firstportion 818 of the third plane 816 may be attached to an upper portionof the second support beam 810. For example, the first portion 818 maybe attached or secured to an underside of a top flange portion 824 ofthe second support beam 810 (e.g., a C-beam cross-member). The secondportion 820 of the third plane 816 may protrude in the horizontaldirection (X-axis) from the upper portion (e.g., top flange 824) of thesecond support beam 810.

In some implementations, the ledgers 804 and 806 are attached to thefirst and second support beams 808 and 810 via spot welding. As shown inexample of FIG. 8A, there can be one or more spot welds (e.g., 826) thatattach, hold, or secure the ledgers 804 and 806 to the first and secondsupport beams 808 and 810, respectively. Additionally or alternatively,stitch welding can be used in some embodiments. For example, the secondportion 820 of the third plane 816 of the flat ledger 806 can be stitchwelded underneath the top flange portion 824 of the second support beam810. In another example, the first plane 812 of the angle ledger 804 canbe stitch welded to the upper portion of the vertical flat side 822 ofthe first support beam 808. The ledgers 804 and 806 may be attached tothe first and second support beams 808 and 810 in any ways orcombination of ways.

In some instances, ledgers can be built in association with the buildingof support beams (e.g., cross-members). In some cases, ledgers can beattached to the support beams at or before the base assembly stage.After the foundational base assembly is formed using a plurality ofsupport beams (with attached ledgers), the support panels can be placedonto the ledgers at or prior to the wood flooring being overlaid.

In various embodiments, support beams may be fabricated or formedincluding all or parts of one or more ledgers. In this example, a ledgermay not be added to a support beam in a separate step (e.g., by welding)but rather one or more ledgers may be formed when the support beam isformed. In some embodiments, additional ledgers or portions of ledgersmay be added to a support beam that was formed with at least one ledgeror a portion of a ledger.

In some embodiments, the support panel, the ledgers, and/or otherrelevant pieces can be made from one or more sheared pieces of steelplate, a standard-cut flat bar, and/or an angle piece. In someembodiments, the support panel, the ledgers, and/or other relevantpieces can be made from steel or any other material (e.g., combinationof metals).

FIG. 8B illustrates the example system 800 of FIG. 8A in which thesupport panel 802 is placed on the ledgers 804 and 806 that are attachedto the support beams 808 and 810, respectively in some embodiments. Asdiscussed before, in some implementations, the support panel 802 can bedropped-in or place onto the ledgers 804 and 806 in between the supportbeams 808 and 810, without having to attach, fasten, or otherwise securethe support panel 802 to the ledgers 804 and 806. However, in somecases, the support panel 802 can be attached, fastened, and/or securedto the ledgers 804 and 806 as needed.

FIG. 8C illustrates a side view of the example system 800 of FIG. 8A andFIG. 8B in which the support panel 802 is placed on the ledgers 804 and806 that are attached to the support beams 808 and 810 in someembodiments. In the example of FIG. 8C, one or more first spot welds 812can attach the first ledger 804 (e.g., an angle ledger) to the firstsupport beam 808, such as by welding the angle ledger 804 to an upperportion of a vertical flat side of the first support beam 808 (e.g., afirst C-beam cross-member). Also, as shown in this example, one or moresecond spot welds 814 can attach the second ledger 806 (e.g., a flatledger) to the second support beam 810, such as by welding the flatledger 806 underneath an upper flange portion of the second support beam810 (e.g., a second C-beam cross-member next to the first C-beamcross-member).

Further, as shown in FIG. 8C, there can be a gap 816 between the firstsupport beam 808 and the support panel 802 and/or a gap 818 between thesecond support beam 810 and the support panel 802. The gaps 816 and 818can allow for some deviations or inaccuracies in the dimensions of thesupport panel 802, ledgers 804 and 806, and/or other pieces. The gaps816 and 818 can provide some “wiggle room” for placing the support panel802 onto the ledgers 804 and 806 in between the support beams 808 and810. The gaps 816 and 818 can also be sufficiently small so as to reduceor prevent undesired longitudinal (i.e., along X-axis) sliding ormovement of the support panel 802 on the ledgers 804 and 806. In someembodiments, the gaps 816 and 818 can also eliminate the need to dressthe spot welds 812 and 814, respectively.

In some embodiments, the support panel 802 can also have lips or flanges(e.g., 820) that extend downward. The lips or flanges can help reduce orprevent undesired transversal (i.e., along Z-axis) sliding or movementof the support panel 802 on the ledgers 804 and 806.

FIG. 8D illustrates a frontal view the example system 800 of FIG. 8A,FIG. 8B, and FIG. 8C in which the support panel 802 is placed on theledgers that are attached to the support beams in some embodiments. InFIG. 8D, the angle ledger 804 and the first support beam 808 areillustrated, but the flat ledger and the second support beam are omittedfor graphical purposes.

Again, in some embodiments, the angle ledger 804 can be attached to thefirst support beam 808 via one or more spot welds 812. Also, in someimplementations, the support panel 802 can have lips or flanges 820 thatextend downward, as shown in FIG. 8D. The lips or flanges 820 can helpreduce or prevent undesired transversal (i.e., along Z-axis) sliding ormovement of the support panel 802 on the ledgers.

Further, there can be one or more gaps 822 between the lips or flanges820 of the support panel 802 and the ledgers. In some cases, the gaps822 can allow for some deviations or inaccuracies in the dimensions ofthe support panel 802, ledgers, and/or other pieces. The gaps 822 canprovide some “wiggle room” for placing the support panel 802 onto theledgers in between the support beams. The gaps 822 can also besufficiently small so as to reduce or prevent undesired transversal(i.e., along Z-axis) sliding or movement of the support panel 802 on theledgers.

FIG. 9 illustrates a side view section of an example foundational baseassembly 900 having implemented support panels in some embodiments. Theexample foundational base assembly 900 can, for example, correspond to afloor, such as shipping container floor. The example foundational baseassembly 900 can include a threshold 902, a plurality of support panels(e.g., 904, 906, 908, 910, etc.) for protecting a flooring overlay, aplurality of support beams (e.g., 912, 914, 916, 918, 920, etc.), and aplurality of ledgers attached to the plurality of support beams.

As shown in the example of FIG. 9, each support panel can be placed on arespective angle ledger and a respective flat ledger. Each ledger can beattached or secured to an upper portion of a respective support beam. InFIG. 9, at least some of the support beams can include cross-members,such as C-beam cross-members.

In some instances, support beams can be different. For example, C-beamcross-member 920 can be different from C-beam cross-members 914, 916,and 918 because C-beam cross-member 920 has a larger upper flangeportion than the upper flange portions of the other C-beam cross-members914, 916, and 918. It follows that support panel 910 can have a shorterlongitudinal length than the longitudinal lengths of the other supportpanels 904, 906, and 908. Accordingly, at least two separate sets ofsupport panels can be manufactured, one set for support panels similarto panels 904, 906, and 908 and another set for support panels similarto panel 910.

Further, dimensions of various pieces and components of the disclosedtechnology are presented in FIG. 9. In some instances, at least some ofthe dimensions can be determined or planned based on research andanalysis. In some cases, at least some of these dimensions have beendetermined by research or analysis to be suitable for implementingvarious embodiments of the disclosed technology. However, it should beunderstood that these dimensions are exemplary and that other dimensionsand/or variations can be utilized as well. Moreover, it should beappreciated that, similar to other figures presented herein, FIG. 9 isnot necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example support panel 1002 with material 1004removed to reduce weight in some embodiments. In some embodiments, oneor more holes 1004 can be cut out from the support panel 1002 to reducethe weight of the support panel 1002. Research and analysis can beperformed to determine which material to remove, how much material toremove, and/or how to remove the material, while still attempting tomaximize the structural strength and/or other desired properties of thesupport panel 1002. In some instances, the removed material can berecycled or reused, thereby saving or generating additional resources.

FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of an example foundational base assembly1100 having implemented support panels 1102 with material removed toreduce weight in some embodiments. In the example of FIG. 11, a total of14 support panels 1002 can be installed in an area 0 to 8 feet away inlongitudinal length from an entrance of a shipping container. In thisexample, the shipping container can be a 40 feet long container. In someembodiments, removing material (e.g., creating holes) from the supportpanels may reduce the total weight of the support panels 1102 and theshipping container. For example, if the support panels 1102 are made outof steel, then the cumulative effect of cutting out two holes in eachsupport panel 1102 may significantly decrease the weight of the supportpanels 1102.

FIG. 12A illustrates an example flow diagram 1200 for providingprotection of floorings in some embodiments. It should be appreciatedthat there can be additional, fewer, or alternative steps performed insimilar or alternative orders, or in parallel, within the scope of thevarious embodiments unless otherwise stated.

At step 1202, a first ledger can be attached to an upper portion of afirst support beam associated with a foundational base assembly. Aportion of the first ledger can protrude outward in a first horizontaldirection from the upper portion of the first support beam.

At step 1204, a second ledger can be attached to an upper portion of asecond support beam next to the first support beam. A portion of thesecond ledger can protrude outward in a second horizontal direction fromthe upper portion of the second support beam. The second horizontaldirection can be facing the first horizontal direction.

At step 1206, a support panel can be placed on top of the portion of thefirst ledger and the portion of the second ledger. The support panel canhave a length proximate to a distance between the first support beam andthe second support beam.

FIG. 12B illustrates an example flow diagram 1250 for providingprotection of floorings. Again, it should be understood that there canbe additional, fewer, or alternative steps performed in similar oralternative orders, or in parallel, within the scope of the variousembodiments unless otherwise stated.

At step 1252, an amount of force can be absorbed by a support panel. Thesupport panel can be placed on top of a portion of a first ledger and ontop of a portion of a second ledger. For example, wheels of a forkliftcarrying a load may put pressure on a portion of floor that is supportedby the support panel which is resting on two ledgers. The two ledgersbeing coupled, respectively, to two support beams.

At step 1254, the amount of force is distributed by the support panel toa first support beam having an upper portion attached to the firstledger and to a second support beam having an upper portion attached tothe second ledger.

At step 1256, an amount of stress incurred by at least a portion of woodflooring overlaying the support panel is reduced. The amount of stressmay be reduced based on the distributing, by the support panel, of theamount of force to the first support beam and to the second supportbeam. In some embodiments, the support panel can distribute the amountof force to the first support beam via the first ledger and to thesecond support beam via the second ledger.

Various embodiments are described herein as examples. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may bemade and other embodiments or approaches can be used without departingfrom the broader scope of the present invention. Therefore, these andother variations upon the exemplary embodiments are intended to becovered by the present invention(s).

For purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the description. It will beapparent, however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments of thedisclosure can be practiced without these specific details. In someinstances, modules, structures, processes, features, and devices areshown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the description.In other instances, functional block diagrams and flow diagrams areshown to represent data and logic flows. The components of blockdiagrams and flow diagrams (e.g., modules, blocks, structures, devices,features, etc.) may be variously combined, separated, removed,reordered, and replaced in a manner other than as expressly describedand depicted herein.

Reference in this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”,“other embodiments”, “one series of embodiments”, “some embodiments”,“various embodiments”, or the like means that a particular feature,design, structure, or characteristic described in connection with theembodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Theappearances of, for example, the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in anembodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarilyall referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternativeembodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, whetheror not there is express reference to an “embodiment” or the like,various features are described, which may be variously combined andincluded in some embodiments, but also variously omitted in otherembodiments. Similarly, various features are described that may bepreferences or requirements for some embodiments, but not otherembodiments.

The language used herein has been principally selected for readabilityand instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected todelineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is thereforeintended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detaileddescription, but rather by any claims that issue on an application basedhereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the inventionis intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of theinvention, which is set forth in the following claims.

1. A system comprising: a first ledger attached to an upper portion of afirst support beam associated with a foundational base assembly, aportion of the first ledger protruding outward in a first horizontaldirection from the upper portion of the first support beam; a secondledger attached to an upper portion of a second support beam next to thefirst support beam, a portion of the second ledger protruding outward ina second horizontal direction from the upper portion of the secondsupport beam, the second horizontal direction facing the firsthorizontal direction; and a support panel being placed on top of theportion of the first ledger and the portion of the second ledger, thesupport panel having a length proximate to a distance between the firstsupport beam and the second support beam.